AMC's The Walking Dead was must-watch television for over a decade. The zombie/apocalypse TV series saw Rick Grimes and his merry band of survivors attempt to outlast the dangers of the undead in a world with no laws, no boundaries, and very little hope. And perhaps the scariest thing about the entire series is that, of all the threats that came their way, the most dangerous were the human ones.
It's insane to think about, but over the course of the show's 11-season run, Rick, Daryl Dixon, Carol Peletier, Maggie and Glenn Rhee, and all of the other survivors encountered some dastardly threats (some still do on the shared universe's many spinoffs). From Negan to The Commonwealth, there were dangers aplenty, but perhaps the most notorious of them all was The Governor.
The first major human threat, Phillip Blake a.k.a. The Governor, was portrayed by David Morrissey and he popped up in the show's third season, but he managed to outlast that season, resurfacing soon afterwards. If you've been binge-watching the series for the first time on a streaming service (or DVDs, because people still do that!) or you just can't remember what happened to the Governor after all those seasons that came after his run, here's everything you need to know about how the villain met his end on TWD.
The Governor died in bloody fashion in TWD season 4's midseason finale
Although The Governor was the primary villain of The Walking Dead season 3, his reign of terror continued into the fourth season. Having fallen on hard times after Woodbury was destroyed, he was out in the wild when he came upon a new group of survivors, including Lilly and Tara Chambler. He ended up becoming something of a protector to them when he saved them from their deceased father (who had turned) and after that, he began a romantic relationship with Lilly.
It truly looked like he was ready to turn over a new leaf, but he slowly began to revert back to his murderous ways, plotting his revenge against Rick. When Lilly's daughter Meghan died, he heartlessly prevented her from turning into a walker and ultimately led this new group to the prison after telling them lies about Rick and his friends, portraying them as the enemies. This started a siege outside the prison as he attempted to force Rick and the survivors out of their home.
The Governor ultimately dies in The Walking Dead season 4, episode 8. Titled "Too Far Gone", the episode acts the fourth season's midseason finale as it sees the villain attempt to stage a coup by evicting Rick and his friends and claiming the prison for himself. That coup involves kidnapping Hershel and Michonne and threatening their lives in front of Rick. The villain knew how Rick looked up to Hershel and decided to specifically target him.
Rick, following Hershel's guidance pleaded with his enemy to do the right thing, telling him that they "get to come back" from the terrible things they had done. For a moment, it looked like the Governor considered it, but he simply said "Liar" and swung Michonne's sword at Hershel's neck, partially decapitating him. A war broke out and The Governor refused to let Hershel go, killing him on the grass as he crawled away to safety.
It's in that moment that the Governor's fate is sealed; there is no coming back for the villain after that. Rick tackled him to the ground and a struggled ensued, but just as The Governor was about to kill his archenemy, Michonne drove her sword through his chest, saving Rick in the process. But it would not end there.
Dying but still alive, the Governor writhed around on the grass only to be confronted by Lilly. Instead of helping him, she shot him in the head for all that he had done to her and her family, and walked into the field of walkers, allowing them to kill and eat her. Her sister Tara would remain on the show until its tenth season.
The Governor was one of the most cruel, unforgiving (and unforgivable) characters in The Walking Dead history, and his death after the siege on the prison in the season 4 midseason finale remains one of the show's most infamous moments.